How Far I'll Go
by BadVibez
Summary: Crossposted on Ao3. Full summary inside. In 1941 the world was at war. Over seventy years had passed since the war had ended. For Gael Vega, however, the fighting had just begun. Lost in time with no way home Gael is forced to adapt and survive in a world completely different from the one he grew up in. Navigating through the future was tough. Keeping the truth hidden even more so.
1. Seize The Day

**Summary: In 1941 the world was at war. The fighting didn't just take place overseas, however. Tensions ran thick back home. The enhanced population was targeted and forced into corners. It was better, safer, on the front lines than staying home. For Gael, joining the American armed forces wasn't so much a privilege but an obligation. He, along with a few others like him, was given a choice. Join their war along with their experimental program or face imprisonment. He agreed. Only, Gael had not realized it then that him becoming akin to a superheroes sidekick would light the powder keg to change.**

 **And neither did the world until his untimely death.**

 **But he didn't die. Gael was lost in time and had awoken in a world so similar to his own yet vastly different than he remembered it being. Now, living in a time much more accepting than his own, Gael found himself in a curious position. Seventy years had gone by in a blink of an eye and here he was, stranded in an unfamiliar country. He had no contacts, no money, and zero knowledge on how to move forward. Nevertheless, Gael was determined to live his life the way he wanted.**

 **And if it meant going to school to achieve his goals, so be it.**

* * *

 **Cross-posted on Ao3**

 **I wrote and re-wrote the beginning of this story about six times. I had so many ideas but this one was my favorite. If you don't like original characters, this story is not for you. The story will follow my own character and I do plan on changing canon as the story progresses. This is also very self-indulgent. Just for fun! I hope you enjoy reading and please tell me what you think! Don't forget to leave behind a comment on what you think Gael's quirk is! I'm interested to hear what you guys think.**

 **Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find.**

 **This story is based loosely on X-Men Origins and Captain America: The First Avenger. It is not a crossover but you may catch a few familiar plot points.**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Seize The Day**

 _"You can't be serious! This is a civilian city!"_

 _"It's the only way to stop this whole mess!"_

 _"At the cost of thousands? They are not the enemy! They already lost! We can stop this!"_

 _"I'm sorry, kid."_

 _"There's still time, sir. Please. We can't— I can't let this happen. They already lost!"_

 _"We can't. It's already coming. We need to go now. There's not much time left."_

 _" Please, Sir!"_

 _"I said no, Gael! Even if I wanted to, it's already too late. We can't stop it."_

 _"...I can."_

 _"Kid? Kid! Get back here! Gael!"_

 _"I'm sorry"_

* * *

Gael woke with a start. His heart hammered in his chest as he lay still in his sleeping mat. Cold sweat dripped off his hair and body. His nightshirt clung uncomfortably against his shirt. Ragged breaths tore through his throat, the sound of his sputtering breathing echoed in the sparse room. The teen took a moment to collect himself as he waited for the lingering effect of his nightmare disappear. After his breathing settled and his heart resumed to a much a slower pace, Gael finally opened his eyes. There was a short sigh of relief at the sight of his dreary warehouse ceiling. He stared for a moment, lost as he counted the rigged lines that crossed each panel. Horizontal then verticle. Pink tuffs of insulation peeked through the broken sections of the roof. Light streamed into the room, reminding Gael he needed to patch those up soon in preparation of the incoming cold weather.

He sighed again as he stretched across his sleeping mat. His joints gave a satisfying crack as he stretched his arms and legs as far as they would go. A yawn escaped him as he slowly stood from the ground. A tanned fist pressed against his mouth as it passed. He smacked his lips together, grimacing at the stuffy taste and feeling of his mouth. Quietly, the teen resumed his morning routine. He rolled up his mat nice and tight before stuffing the padded sheet in a dry corner. Once that was done, the teen padded over to the restroom across the floor.

There was no running water in the building. Gael had tested every spigot he found but none produced a single drop. It didn't come as a surprise to the teen seeing as his current residence had long since been condemned by public works. It would have been nice, he supposed. Nevertheless, the teen had grown up in a similar situation and knew a large bucket of clean water worked just as well.

After tugging off his large sleep shirt, Gael leaned over the cracked porcelain sink before pouring cool water over his head. It wasn't the best way to get clean but Gael had little choice in the matter. He took his time running a wet rag along his body. He made sure to scrub under his arms and behind his ears, taking care to rid himself of all the dirt his body had collected since the day before. The cheap scented soap he had bought felt gritty and left his skin feeling dry. It was better than some cleaning products he used in the past and left behind a pleasant smell so Gael couldn't complain.

The teen stared at his reflection in the cracked mirror as finger-combed his hair and he brushed his teeth. Damp, light brown locks curled at the base of his neck. It had been a while since he last cut his hair but Gael found he didn't mind the length. Droplets of water ran down his scar covered chest and arms. They were rather faded by now but the mere sight of them made Gael uneasy; Not from pain nor disgust but from the memory they entailed. Ignoring the raised lines and splotches of discoloration, Gael instead focused on his visible ribs. His stomach growled pitifully at him, aching food Gael could not provide. It was moments like these were Gael was grateful for his enhanc— quirk.

Gael spat the foamy toothpaste into the sink before rinsing his mouth out with more water. He used his nightshirt to dry the last bit of water clinging stubbornly to his body before draping it over the side of the sink to air dry. Gael glanced back at his reflection in the mirror and gave his best grin. Round, dimpled cheeks rose causing his eyes to squint and wrinkle around the corners. A remained smiling for a few moments, urging himself to remain natural, open, and most importantly, happy.

His smile, Gael learned, was his best disguise.

The grin on his face dropped after a few seconds. He did his best to make it look as natural as possible. He walked amongst some of the most perspective people he had ever met on a near daily basis now. It only took a day for Gael to realize something was wrong all those months ago. It didn't take a genius to realize something was amiss. It took even longer to accept it. Even now, Gael couldn't help but hate his situation. He hated everything about it but the teen couldn't let himself fall into a self-induced haze of pity. His team, may they rest in peace, would never forgive him. He's been in situations most adults couldn't handle. He's fought against men and woman twice his size and age. He's witnessed battlefields, gruesome injuries, and other unimaginable act of human terrorism from as young as twelve-years-old. Gael knew he was strong-willed. He had to be. But he couldn't help but doubt himself as he stared into his reflection. Amber eyes met his own. He could see his own waring emotions reflected back at him and for a moment, a brief moment, Gael wondered if the charade was even worth it.

The dark thoughts that threatened to invade his mind were forcibly shoved away as Gael tore his attention away from his reflection. The teen quickly covered his bucket of water with a rag, He didn't want his only available source contaminated with critters or nasty junk lingering in the air. Once the remaining bit of water was safe, the teen pulled on a clean school uniform after shredding off and replacing his undershorts.

Bare feet padded against the cool concrete floor as he made his way towards his bag and shoes he left near his sleeping area. He slid on his shoes and tossed his bag over his shoulder before heading outside. The sun had just barely risen into the sky. Light orange and pink clouds greeted Gael as he walked down the empty streets. He checked the time as he passed a bodega and huffed in relief. He had just under two hours to get to class. Plenty of time to check on his foster parents home before catching the bus.

Mr. and Mrs. Yamamoto were decent people. They had taken Gael in when the police in the city had finally caught up to him after two weeks of his 'arrival'. They had even helped him immensely since taking him into their home. Got him the correct paperwork, signed him up for school, and provided everything he needed to succeed in his new classes. The Yamamoto's were decent people, however, Gael was not stupid. They did not like him.

To the outside world, the Yamamoto's were a picturesque couple. They were a beautiful couple with amazing jobs and a picture-perfect house. They were well liked by their neighbors, held a great reputation in their community, and to top it all off, they were registered foster parents. The Yamamoto's were, well, perfect. Gael should have considered himself lucky but what people didn't see was the contempt they held for their foster child. They never laid a hand on him or threatened him harm in any way but the teen felt uncomfortable sharing a space with people who didn't even try to hide their ill will towards him. He could handle the backhanded comments and insults they sent him behind their smiles. He could handle their blatant show of mistrust they had whenever he caught them staring at him as though he were about to steal their belongings. He could handle how they paraded him around to their co-workers and neighbors as though he were some charity case. Gael could handle it.

However, living with the Yamamoto's was not very difficult. In fact, Gael was relieved to note that he hardly ever even sees the couple anymore. They worked for the same company. A booming industry that had just become international. The two held high positions in their business and thus traveled a lot, in the country and out. Consequently. The Yamamoto's were hardly ever home. Their trips back to Musutafu were few and far in between. Unfortunately, the Yamamoto's did not like leaving Gael alone in their house when they were gone. In their words, They did not trust the slow foreigner boy with their belongings unprotected. It was insulting but, again, Gael could handle their cruelty. It could have been worse, after all.

The one good thing about the whole arrangement, however, was school. Gael had only attended a year of elementary school back in 1937. His parents had pulled him out and did a runner with him when it came out that he was enhan— when his quirk manifested in public. He was too young at the time to really understand what was going on. Actually, Gael remembered being happy when his mama told him he was not going back to the first grade. His teacher had been a real fat-head.

Now, however, with the Yamamoto's vast list of contacts, Gael had been accepted to the most prestigious high school in all of Japan. Of course, it wasn't just his foster parent's influence that got him in. He was still required to take the entrance exam to get in, after all. They provided the opportunity but it was up to Gael to decide if he wanted to take it or not. He had studied more in those two months than he ever had in his life. It was difficult, the language barrier had been especially daunting, but he did it.

The memory of Mrs. Yamamoto uninterestingly presenting him his acceptance letter to U.A's general course was definitely his biggest milestone since 1945.

The sight of an empty driveway at the Yamamoto home caused mixed feelings to stir in Gael's stomach. A weird mixture of relief and disappointment. He may not have liked his foster parents very much but their return meant he could enjoy a hot shower once more. He hardly ever had a chance for hot water back home, hell he was lucky to have had any running water at all. It was just one of those things you took for granted and felt a deep loss for when it was gone.

The teen never broke his stride as he continued down the path towards the train station. His eyes lingered at the dark home for only a moment before his attention drifted forwards. It wouldn't do to accidentally bump into someone due to his negligence. Gael let his hand brush against a few trees and bushes as he passed. He had run out of the pre-packed food he kept on hand just last night and was feeling a bit lethargic. He was careful to keep his eyes hidden behind his now dry, honey-colored hair as he did so. While quirk users were accepted in this age, it was still illegal to use his quirk without a license. There weren't too many people around and those who were weren't paying much attention to him but Gael liked to play it safe. He even made sure only to take a bit from each plant as he walked by. He didn't want them to shrivel up, of course.

Gael no longer felt as crummy as when he woke up. The bit of energy he managed to take worked wonders for his mood though he wasn't quite at a hundred percent. It would do until lunchtime when he could finally get some real food in his stomach. The train station had an ample amount of energy he could siphon off as well but Gael found he really disliked the taste in left behind. Instead, Gael quickly found his train and boarded without bothering to replenish his stores.

The ride to school was crowded. Filled with businessmen and women alike heading to work and a few students in their school uniforms. It made sense that there weren't too many students out at the moment. School did not start for another hour and a half. Of those students, only one shared the same uniform as himself. Another boy with dark green hair and nervous eyes. Gael smiled at the teen when they made eye contact but made no move to interact with him. He seemed like a nice kid if only a little too self-cautious but nice all the same. However, Gael kept his distance.

The two got off on the same stop. Obviously. But Gael lingered behind a bit and pretended to tie his shoe. He let the boy pass him, waiting for the other to leave his sight before he too took off in the same direction.

It had only been two weeks since the start of the semester. Since then, Gael did a decent job at staying under the radar. It was boring and a little more disheartening to him to force himself into a self-imposed isolation but he knew it was for the best. Six months was more than enough to find his footing in this new world but high school was completely different. There were references he didn't understand. Music he's never heard and movies he's never watched. Jokes from this time were unfamiliar and quite a bit different than what he was used too. Gael was a social kid. He knew that but he was not confident of his acting skills just yet. The urge to approach the boy from the train had been strong. He wanted nothing more than to finally gain a friend but he chickened out. He had decided enough was enough the night before as he prepared himself for bed. The isolation was not doing him any favors and Gael yearned to talk to someone. The boy on the train was his chance but unfortunately the nervousness he caught in the boy's tense figure mirrored himself.

No matter. He had more than enough chances inside the actual school.

Gael's breath caught in his throat as he passed the school gates. The reporters from the previous week were gone, thankfully, so the teen allowed himself to marvel at the pristine building in front of him. Even after two weeks, the mere sight of his school left his legs to feel like jelly. His heart felt full with awe and happiness at even being allowed to step foot inside. He never thought he'd have a chance to attend an actual school.

He took his time getting to his classroom; Room 1-C. He didn't remember all of his classmate's names or did he take the time to approach any of them. To be fair, most of them kept their distance from him as well. It disheartened him at first but, again, it was for the best. As Gael took his seat in the back of the class, he wondered what exactly it was that intimidated the other students. He wasn't very big and stood at an average height. When he spoke, he kept his tone easy and low. He smiled when they made eye contact with them and answered when spoken to. He didn't disrupt the class or take much of the teacher's attention. Gael was just... there.

It could have been his obvious foreign features or his less than perfect Japanese. Maybe they feared the possibility of a language barrier. Gael didn't think he was too bad. His accent was still very strong but it was getting better. He hoped. He watched as his classmates fill the room steadily. He listened passively to their hushed conversations and laughter with a bit of envy. He didn't understand it. The teen absentmindedly rubbed a hand to his face and froze at the habitual action. Was it the scar?

It was an old scar. About a year old. (Well, technically over seventy years old but who was counting?) It wasn't very dark but it was a bit prominent on his face. It ran down vertically over his right eye. From just above his eyebrow and down to his cheek. He was told it would never quite fade away but Gael had never minded that until that moment. He wasn't a vain boy but his already fragile confidence was a bit shaken at the prospect of his scars being the reason he was so unapproachable. Nevertheless, Gael knew there was nothing he could do about his scars. He only hopes it wasn't that and was not too late to make some friends.

The class was nearly full by the time Gael lifted his head from his desk. He let out a shaky breath as he glanced around the room and jumped in his place when he noticed the seat beside him filled. He hadn't heard the other boy approach the back of the room. Gael quickly looked away from his classmate but his curiosity was too strong. The boy Shinsou, he believed, was one of the quieter kids in class. He seemed alright and had kept to himself since the start. Like Gael, Shinsou stayed out of their classmate's way and tended to leave right as the bell rang.

He had a tired look and feel about him, as evidenced by the bags under his eyes and his posture. Gael had caught the boy jerk himself awake more than once during their lessons but never seemed to fall behind academically. His scores proved the teen was an intelligent kid and despite his lazy demeanor, Shinsou held one of the top spots in the class. The annoyed looks their classmates sent the purple haired teen was more than a bit amusing. Especially since Shinso never seemed to care or react negatively to the poorly concealed envy.

Gael chanced another glance at the boy but froze under dark purple eyes. Shinso looked rather bored as he regarded him. His head resting on a closed fist, eyes staring unblinkingly at Gael's own. Gael grinned sheepishly at the teen, a blush rising to his cheeks from embarrassment at being caught staring. He muttered a quick 'sorry' but Shinsou neither responded or reacted to his poor attempt of an apology. Instead, the other teen moved his gaze away from him in favor of their just arriving homeroom teacher. It was more than a little mortifying but Gael wouldn't let the opportunity escape him again. With that new goal in mind, Gael mentally prepared himself to actually be social for a change. As his homeroom teacher called roll, Gael pondered on what to say, how to start a conversation.

He wondered if asking about his quirk would suffice.

 _'What did he say his quirk was again?'_


	2. Waving Through A Window

**Chapter Two: Waving Through A Window**

 _"Keep your witch breath away from me!" Gael shrieked with a laugh. He dodged under grabbing hands and hopped away, just out of the girl's reach._

 _"Witch?" The girl gasped in mock offense. She rose a hand to her heart and swooned. Her mouth twitched upwards slightly but the girl forced it down. "How dare you. That is no way to speak to a lady."_

 _"A lady?" Gael mocked. "I don't see one here."_

 _The boy let out another shriek of laughter when the girl threw herself at him. The two children gasped and giggled as they fell into the muddy ground. The struggled on the ground for a moment, neither able to get a stable footing on the slippery surface. Lanky arms swing in all directions but their slight luck eventually ran out causing the playful kids to fall to the ground in a mess of limbs._

 _"For a ballerina, you're not very graceful," Gael gasped._

 _"M'_ not _a ballerina—"_

 _"Yet."_

 _"Stop it, Gael. We both know no school will accept me."_

 _"They will." The children lay quietly side-by-side for a moment. Hands tightly intertwined between them as they watched the sky change colors. The slight blush on their faces from exertion and laughter lingered as their breathing finally evened out._

 _"Do you— do you really think so?" the young girl asked, almost hesitating in fear of her friend's response._

 _"Yeah. I do. One day. When that happens every school in the whole world will want you. I know it."_

 _"...What about you? What will you do?"_

 _"That's easy! I have it all planned out."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Yeah. When the war is over I'm going to build a house." A snort reached the boy's ears. He frowned. "What?"_

 _"Nothing bad," the girl laughed. "I'm just surprised."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"That's my line! Why do you want to build a house."_

 _"Well, why not? I think I can build a great house. A beautiful one. I'll even make you a room if you'd like. You can come to visit after your recitals!"_

 _"Will it be big? Your house?"_

 _"It'll be… enough."_

 _"Enough? How big is enough?" Gael only laughed, ignoring the girl's question as he carefully stood. The boy held out a hand for his friend, a happy grin underneath the splattering of mud covering his face. "Gael."_

 _"You'll have to wait and see, May. It'll be perfect. Just… enough!"_

* * *

As it was, confusion and nervousness were the foundation of Gael's emotional range. He was doing better, of course, but a handful of months were not enough to heal the wounds left behind in the teen's mind and heart. Isolation from the outside world had helped, if only a little. He had given himself time to adjust and adapt to this new age as best as he could. It was not a perfect system or approach by any means but it was the best Gael was able, and willing, to do.

His team and friends would have given him plenty of grief if had they seen him act in such a way. Captain Harvey even more so as the man had basically instilled every survival tactic and plan of action he had in Gael. Every possible scenario, every mock battle, and fight analysis in his hand and yet Gael had been thrown for a complete loss at the situation at hand. Though to be fair, Captain Harvey had never mentioned time-travel in their lessons but he had given Gael plenty of advice if they were ever separated or lost. He had followed those directions to the T.

Be cautious.

Be aware.

Keep low.

Stay safe.

Those four rules had been cemented into his head these last couple months. He held onto Captain Harvey's teachings closely. The man was smart and had taken Gael under his wing. Kept him safe and, most importantly, alive. Following the man's advice, a few words given over half a century ago kept the teen from completely losing his mind. It was difficult, yes. There had been moments where Gael considered finding someone he could trust and come clean. The idea was thrown out when he quickly realized there was no one Gael knew well enough for him to trust. The Yamamoto's clearly didn't like him. His teachers were all still new to him. The detective he had met half a year ago was nice enough but Gael had only spoken to him twice.

There was no one.

It was Gael's fault, however. He was the one who decided to keep away from others. He had a couple of chances since his arrival to find help. It was his own fear that held him back. At the time, Gael had no way of knowing how people would react to the truth. Opinion on enhanced had been rather negative in his time. Better than when superhuman individuals had first emerged but still not the best. Of course, the police officer with a cat head had tipped him off that something was different but it had been far too early for Gael to lose his bit of anonymity.

The teen's bout of shell shock also had a large hand at how he handled that situation.

But Gael couldn't keep living the way he was. Going through the motions, unaware and uncaring, felt wrong. It had hurt him more than he had thought it would. It was quiet and dull. Sometimes, he could hear the voices of his friends pull at him when no one was around. Phantom touches pressed against his back and shoulders, often shaking him into consciousness late at night. He could hear Sargent Grimes' boisterous laugh and Sargent Kelly's off-key singing. It was maddening and nearly brought him to his knees more times than he could count.

But… he could handle it.

The hallucinations were pushed aside. Gael forced himself to keep moving. To learn the names of streets and familiarize himself with current pop culture. He listened to the Yamamoto's radio whenever he had the chance to. Daily news and world happenings at the expense of his foster parent's company were well worth the new information gathered. He rode the train for hours, no destination in mind but rather using the time to watch people go about their days. He was inspired by them the most. How easily they seemed to keep moving the way they did, uncaring of their world around them as Gael's sanity, as fleeting as it sometimes felt, crashed inside him.

Gael felt as though he was doing rather well keeping himself together. He had survived the most difficult part. The first couple months of this new time were hard; It had only gotten easier since then.

But now, in his third week of school, Gael felt it was as good as time as ever to keep the momentum going. He was going to live and make the people he left behind proud. The first step was always the hardest to make. Overthinking the situation would only cause him to stumble. With that in mind, Gael pushed aside his fears, gathered every drop of confidence and farce charisma he had inside him, turned to his desk neighbor and said:

"Your hair is nice." His classmate (Shinsou, he reminded himself) startled at the sudden sound of his whispered voice and Gael cringed. His hair was nice? It was the truth, for sure. The vivid purple was really neat but that really wasn't how Gael wanted to start a conversation. Why couldn't he have mentioned the weather or something less embarrassing?

"My hair?" The teen drawled. A dry look set in his face as stared down at Gael with eyes that matched the shade of his hair before turning away, uninterested. "Thanks. I guess."

"You're welcome," Gael muttered. His face currently resembled a chili pepper and his nerves had been shot but Gael was not about to quit now. He had just decided that morning he was going to do this. The Hispanic teen was not about to let the other boy's dreary attitude intimidate him from making friends. And gosh dammit, he fought in a war! Gael could very well handle starting a conversation with a kid his age.

Take two.

"So," Gael started with a small, nervous smile. "Brainwashing, right?"

"Don't start," his neighbor snarled quietly. "It's a shitty villains quirk, I know."

Gael flinched a little at the anger in the boy's low tone. Warning bells rang in his head, urging him to abort his current path. It was dangerous territory, Gael could feel it but the teen couldn't find it in himself to abandon the obviously heavy topic. Gael had known plenty of people who disliked or outright resented their enhancement. It was easy to feel contempt for something that put you against the world. But Gael hadn't even considered there would be people in this time that still felt like that. Especially someone so young.

The teen quickly looked up at their teacher and relaxed when he realized she was not paying attention to them but to another one of their classmates. He then turned his attention back to the purple haired boy and frowned. It was a very useful ability. Plenty of applications but useless if the user had such little confidence in themselves. Though to be fair, Gael didn't know the other boy well enough to make assumptions.

"It's not shitty," Gael whispered back before he could stop himself. He felt the need to fix his mistake and try to end this conversation without the other teen full on hating him. It was unfortunate that Gael was not one for pretty words. Though he lacked eloquence, Gael's cheerful demure and naive optimism really paid off in times like this. It was his own form of charming charisma that had gotten him this far in life. Shinsou finally tore his eyes away from his work and glared at the foreign boy beside him. He opened his mouth to argue but Gael shook his head and cut him off. "It is not a shitty quirk. It's not a villain quirk. Any quirk can be a villains quirk, depending on how you use it."

"Easy for you to say. Your quirk—"

"Can be used to take out cities with the right conviction. Anyone can be a villain. Just like anyone can be a hero. It's all a matter of choice, Shinsou."

"Tch," the boy huffed. "Even if I wanted to be a hero, I couldn't. My quirk isn't a flashy one."

"I don't think flashiness is a requirement to being a hero. If it was, maybe we can find you a cape like that boy from 1-A. One of those will definitely get everyone's attention,"

The surprised snort that came from the other teen made Gael grin in satisfaction before he continued; He motivated now with the small show of positive reaction. "I actually had a friend with a mental quirk kind of like yours."

"Yeah?" Shinsou asked, intrigued.

"Mhm. If she breathed on someone she could force them to sing."

"...What?"

"Like a spontaneous musical number. Of course, they didn't dance and sing. We never did find someone with a dancing quirk."

"You're shitting me."

"I'm completely serious," Gael said with a quiet laugh. "It was really neat. Useful, too. One breath and she would have someone singing their hearts out for an hour. Stunk when it was used on you but on others? It was the funniest thing in the world."

"I bet," Shinsou chuckled as he moved back to his worksheet. "Though I don't see how our quirks are related."

"She made people sing what they wanted to say. What was on their minds. For example, in a fight she would use her quirk and her opponent would be forced to sing their intentions. Be it an attack strategy or motive. Plus, singing and fighting is difficult. Trust me, it's exhausting. She also used it as a weird form of a truth serum. Her quirk took away a person's free will. And like you, she wanted to use it for good. Believe me when I say that she had every opportunity in the world to use it for her own gain but never considered it."

"I'm guessing she used it on you a lot," Shinsou replied, his voice slightly strained. Gael laughed, surprised at the sudden onslaught of happy memories. The warning look their teacher sent him forced him to bite back his giggles as he nodded slightly to his desk neighbor.

"Oh yes," he said with an easy grin. "She once forced me to give a presentation in the form of a ballad. That's actually when I realized I have a rather nice singing voice."

"You don't say."

"I do say," Gael agreed before turning serious. "You have an incredible ability. Only a moron wouldn't see that."

"Vega," Shinsou started. Gael instantly turned to the other boy, his expression pulled into a concerned grown at the sound of the boy's odd tone. "Shut up."

Gael laughed quietly before turning back to his own work. He deserved that. Gael was starting to sound way too sentimental, even to his own ears.

"and," Shinsou started again, a slight blush accompanying his tiny grin. "Thanks."

 _SUCCESS_

Gael's heart felt lighter as he turned back to his school work. He felt accomplished and although the small success would seem trivial to most, Gael felt he made a huge step that morning. He left Shinsou alone for the rest of class. The foreign teen did not want to interrupt his classmate's education, after all. He remained quiet for the rest of his morning lessons and for the first time since his start, Gael felt the confidence to actually be present in school. Before, Gael practically ghosted through the school. Silent, but friendly. That one conversation, his first show of breaking from his shell, had done wonders for him. The surprised and astonished looks he got from his teacher and classmates when he rose his hand to answer a question had made his stomach revolt in terror but he didn't back down.

Starting today, things would change. Gael was finally going to live.


	3. A Million Dreams

**Chapter Three: A Million Dreams**

 _Gael grunted as he was thrown to the ground for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. His backside felt sore and throbbed as he quickly pushed himself up to his feet. Sweat trickled down his face, soaking the collar of his shirt. The faded grey shirt uncomfortably stuck to his back and Gael desperate wanted to shed the piece of clothing off. He didn't, however, as he naively believed it served him as a thin layer of protection to the relentless punches and kicks thrown his way. It didn't._

 _"So," Gael started with a wheeze. "Are we almost done?"_

 _"No." Captain Harvey barked. The man hardly looked winded. His uniform was crisp, as though the two hadn't been training in the summer heat for the past three hours. His mouth was set in a firm line as he regarded the thin boy struggle to stand straight before him. "We will continue until you get this right."_

 _Gael grunted as another he took another hit to his chest. He wanted to scream at the man, tell him that no amount of kicks or punches to his body would teach Gael how to fight. There was no instruction. No telling him how to block the attacks or how to stand. Captain Harvey wanted him to learn by watching but it was difficult to see when half of their lessons had Gael's face in the mud._

 _He wanted to say something but in the end, Gael remained silent._

* * *

Being a picky eater was idiotic and dangerous once the depression hit. Food was hard to come by and turning away a meal because you didn't like it was unheard of. Gael hadn't always been a picky eater. As a kid, he would demolish anything his mother put on his plate. The plate would sometimes return to the sink cleaner than when his mother handed it to him. When his enhancement emerged, however, Gael found himself with a difficult relationship with food.

Maybe it was because he missed his mother's cooking. That was the reason his supervisor had given their resident chef when the then nine-year-old refused to eat the slop provided. To his mind, the grey sometimes-liquid-sometimes-solid gruel they were provided with looked as though it were ready to eat him back, it jiggled like Jell-O, smelled like meat, had the consistency of pudding, and tasted like dirt.

Gael had found himself lucky to be stuck with a quirk like his. It meant he had a substitute for food if he found himself in a situation where he didn't have anything on hand. Of course, it wasn't the same. He still felt hunger gnaw at him but it was manageable.

U.A's lunch program consisted of tons of different types of food. The prices were low and pretty much the whole student population swore by Lunch Rush's food. And despite the wide arrange of options, Gael had always kept it safe and ordered a single bowl of white rice every lunch period. It was rather tasty and managed to fill his aching stomach. It was also the cheapest option on the menu. It never made him feel queasy or did it set off his overly sensitive gag reflex. Most importantly, however, was that rice was familiar.

As a kid, Gael remembered his mom making Spanish rice for every meal. It was one of his favorites growing up and he had practically lived off of it, that is until his enhancement had emerged. Even then, plain rice was one of the only dishes he and his team could cook without completely ruining.

There was no doubt that Gael had been intrigued by the other types of food items he's seen other students eat. They smelled and looked incredible but he didn't chance it. He knew himself as a picky eater well enough that he would sooner force himself to eat something he didn't like and make himself sick than throw food away. It was a habit enforced on him by his upbringing. So, he stuck to white rice.

He did feel a little guilty about it though. Lunch Rush would always deflate when he got to the front of the line and order his usual lunch. The Pro Hero would try to persuade him into ordering something else for a change; Something more filling and with more flavor and despite how curious Gael would get, he refused. It wasn't anything against the man. Not at all. It was Gael's own fear and distrust in food.

Gael thanked Lunch Rush as the Pro handed him his tray before turning to the mess of tables surrounding the cafeteria. It was always crowded and every table seemed full at first glance. It was no matter. Gael never ate inside anyways.

The teen moved to his usual spot outside. A small field near the cafeteria had a few other students loitering around. Some with the same intention of enjoying their lunch outside like Gael and others to take in a bit of fresh air before their lessons continued for the day. It was quieter outside and definitely had fewer people around.

The foreigner smiled pleasantly at a few students that met his eye. Most nodded or acknowledged him back, some ignored him. It was nice. Something Gael had gotten used to since the first week of school.

As he walked towards his usual spot, Gael noticed a familiar head of hair sitting alone under a tree. Like him, Shinsou didn't seem to seek out some company as their peers had. It didn't come to a surprise that the purple haired boy preferred the solitude taking his lunch break outside provided. Gael had noticed him before but never approached.

Today was different, though. Gael had spoken to the boy during class and had rather enjoyed their conversation. However short it may have been. Nevertheless, Shinsou seemed like a likable sort. He was nice enough and their conversation had ended on a good note. Again, Gael couldn't make much of the other teen's personality. One short talk during class wasn't enough to make assumptions on. Gael then found himself curious about the other boy. He had wanted to make some sort of connections in the school and Shinsou had been a good start. However, Gael wasn't sure if the purple haired teen even wanted to be friends.

He was overthinking it.

Gael had always had trouble fitting in with kids his age. He had to grow up pretty fast. There was no room for playtime or make believe while on the run. His parents had made an effort, of course, to shelter him from their bleak lives. Sock puppets, made up bedtime stories, silly songs. His parents had really tried. When they died, Gael's childhood died with them. Later, as a 'junior recruit', his age no longer mattered.

What a stupid title. 'Junior recruit'. A blanket term for someone who was far too young to be considered for war. At least he was one of the lucky ones. To have survived for this long. Odd circumstances put aside. It was the irony that really motivated Gael these days. Most of the men on his squad had admitted they didn't have many hopes for his life expectancy. He was brash, naive, and small. Untrained before the Captain got his hands on him. Most bet he would see the dawn of his thirteenth year. Jokes on them, however. Gael had made it to his ninety-first.

So with the confidence of a ninety-one-year-old man, Gael strolled over to his classmate and plopped down beside him. The teen heard Shinsou huff in confusion but ignored the sound as he carefully balanced his tray on his knees. From his peripheral vision, Gael noticed the putout look the purple haired teen was sending him. It made Gael want to get up and run. Heat rose to his cheeks as he vaguely considered doing so but damn it he was hungry. White rice never looked so appetizing or interesting than at that very moment.

"Uh," Shinsou started, not bothering to disguise the annoyance in his tone. Gael hid his flinch. "Why?"

"...Lunch?" Gael responded dully.

"But why here?"

"W-well. I figured since we are classmates and all and y-you seemed nice."

"I seemed nice," Shinsou parroted. "So we had a ten-word conversation and from that, you figured we were friends."

"It was more than ten words," Gael replied quickly. "And, yeah. Or no? I g-guess you don't have to consider me a friend or anything! I do though. Consider you a friend, I mean. Wait, that sounds weird. I meant that I would like to be your friend. Not trying to force anything on you, of course! You can tell me if you want me to get lost. I'd understand. Honestly, I should've asked if you were alright with me being he—"

"You can sit here," Shinsou huffed, cutting Gael off. "Just stop with the word vomit."

Gael beamed at his classmate who only huffed before turning back to his own lunch. The didn't speak again. The silence was not at all awkward, however. It was nice just having someone sitting nearby. It was much better than watching the other students happily mingle while he was sitting alone. Gael glanced back at Shinsou from underneath his hair. The other teen seemed happy to just eat and scroll on his... phone.

And wow. Phones, in particular, had come a long way since the 40s.

The Yamamoto's had given Gael his own phone. Of course, he hadn't known it was phone when Mrs. Yamamoto had placed the shiny rectangle in his hand. He had thanked them for the gift with a shaky smile, mentally wondering what he was supposed to do with the 'mirror', before pocketing the device. It was to his immense wonder and fascination when the 'mirror' had lit up after a few curious proddings. He had played with it all night and well into the morning, figuring out its's components and capabilities.

It also took him a full day to realize he didn't accidentally break his new phone when it suddenly shut off on him.

Curiously, Gael chewed on a mouthful of rice before he carefully dug out his phone from his bag. He held it gently in his hand, still overly cautious about its rather delicate look. He took a moment to inwardly giggle at the ridiculous picture he had set for the lock screen. The shaky picture he got of himself and a squirrel was one of his favorites. He was just about to open up one of the game functions when a low hum caught his attention.

"I actually have a question for you, Vega," Shinsou started. "Why are you in general studies? I remember you mentioning your quirk on the first day. Not quite sure about what it was but I recall it was pretty impressive. Enough to get you into the hero course, for sure."

"U-um, well," Gael stuttered. "My quirk isn't all that great and besides, I'm not all that interested in being a hero."

"Oh?"

"I don't think I'd make a very good hero, that's all."

"Seems like a waste, to be honest," Shinsou remarked dryly. "To be given such a great power and not use it—"

"You don't even know what it is," Gael said, cutting the other off.

"Fair enough," Shinsou conceded after a long moment. The purple haired teen shrugged his shoulders slightly and leaned back a bit as he regarded Gael. The Hispanic boy fidgeted under the intense stare but didn't look away. Losing eye contact was a big no-no during a staredown. "So what is it?"

"W-what is what?"

"Your quirk," Shinsou sighed. "What's your quirk."

"Oh, right," Gael said replied. "It's, um. I can absorb energy and, uh, manipulate it. I can siphon power off um, trees and plants, people, anything that gives off natural energy. Wind too but I still haven't figured out how to, well, grab hold of it, for lack of better term."

Shinsou was quiet, his face unmoving as Gael spoke. It made the foreigner more than a little uncomfortable. Gael wanted nothing more than to change the subject to something else, anything really, but he wasn't too sure how to do so.

"Can you take electricity?" The sudden question through Gael off but he answered nonetheless.

"To an extent, sure. I don't very much like it though. Uh, it leaves a gross taste behind. Like dirty pennies," Gael admitted with a shiver.

"Tch. you have a powerful quirk," Shinsou muttered. "You could have made it to the hero course, no problem."

"B-but I don't want to be in the hero course?" Gael reminded him.

"Bullshit."

"Honest. Being a hero is not really for me. I don't want that future. I don't want to fight for the rest of my life."

"What's that supposed to mean? Most of the kids in the general course are here because we didn't make it into the hero course. Anyone in our class would give anything to move up."

Gael sighed. Shinsou was not listening to him. In fact, the boy was actually rather busy projecting himself on Gael. It was a little bothersome but Gael didn't let it get to him. He could understand his classmate's ire. In a sense, Gael could also understand why his own unwillingness to become a hero frustrated the other boy. It was more than a little ironic, actually.

"Well, I don't. It may sound selfish and—and stupid to you but I didn't come here to become a hero. Having your own dream is well and good, however, you have to realize and accept that not everyone wants what you want. It doesn't work that way," Gael finally said.

"I get that. What I don't understand is why you are so willing to throw away that big an opportunity," Shinsou bit back. "Why don't you take advantage of your privilege?"

"Privilege?"

"Yeah, privilege. Not everyone manifests an amazing quirk, Vega. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You didn't have to grow up with everyone calling you useless or a—a villain because of your quirk. Anyone with a flashy enough quirk can just go about life without any issues while people like me are forced to prove themselves day after day."

Shinsou didn't know. Obviously. He didn't know and Gael had to remind himself that. Gael didn't face the same issues Shinsou had. Their problems were similar yet worlds away. Gael could understand that. Gael could relate to that. He had been in Shinsou shoes, once upon a time. Probably not in the same way Shinsou had implied but close enough. Though he was a little peeved at the other teen, Gael was not about to let his anger get the best of him. Instead, the teen took a moment to take another bite of his lunch as he considered the simmering boy beside him.

"I can promise you that nothing was ever easy just because my quirk is better than some. Growing up with my quirk was really crummy. There were times where I wished I was born without it," Gael admitted.

"...Why?"

"Not many people were exactly happy that I had a quirk. It was different where I'm from, I guess. Very conservative. Later on, I was forced to train— to become a hero. With and without my quirk. For hours, sometimes all day. I hated it but I didn't have much choice. Actually, I didn't get the chance to make decisions for myself. My, uh, instructors always chose for me; Sometimes with my best interest in mind and others— not so much. When I— I got out, I decided I would do what I wanted for a change. I don't want to be a hero. I just— I just want to finish school, get my contractors license, and get the hell out of dodge."

"...Was it your parents? Did they want you to become a hero?"

"No," Gael responded firmly. "My parents only wanted me to be safe and happy. They would have supported me if I wanted to be a hero or not but they wouldn't have made me do anything I didn't want to do."

Gael and Shinsou remained quiet for a long while after that. Neither knew how to respond. Gael wanted to kick himself. The Hispanic teen mentally ran over everything he said, nitpicking every word in search of a possible clue he may have accidentally left behind. He didn't think he said anything that would make Shinsou suspicious of him. Logically, Gael knew he shouldn't have said anything. Information, no matter how vague, was dangerous. He could only hope now that Shinsou didn't dig further.

"Shinsou," Gael finally said. "I'm sorry for saying all that. I-I shouldn't have—"

"No, you're right."

"said— what?"

"You're right. I shouldn't have blown off your personal decisions like that. I just couldn't understand how you could blow off becoming a hero so easily. I've been so caught up with my own shit that I never considered anything else, you know?"

Gael nodded and set his half-eaten lunch aside. He watched as Shinsou seemed to shrink into himself, his own food forgotten beside him.

"I've always wanted to be a hero," Shinsou whispered. "I wanted to show others that I could be a hero, even with a villain's quirk. But at the entrance exam— and pretty much every deciding factor for being a hero relies on combat quirks. The flashier the better. It's impossible, I know, but I won't give up on my dream just yet."

"...And you don't have to," Gael said after a few seconds of silence. Shinsou turned to look at him, his purple eyes clouded in confusion. "The sports festival is coming up and teacher said if you leave a lasting impression, you could move into the hero course!"

"I remember," Shinsou sighed. "But I doubt I could win."

"You don't have to win!" Gael said excitedly. "You just have to get far enough to show off how amazing your quirk can be. In fact, I'll even help you!"

"What? How?"

"You can't rely on quirks all the time, pal. Sure, they're great but I promise that knowing how to throw a punch or perform a smooth takedown will help you so much."

"I know how to punch," Shinsou snorted.

"Do you?" Gael practically sang. "Do you really? Punching people isn't just making a fist and swinging at someone. I'm talking about technique and form, Shinsou."

"What's in it for you then? You don't want to get in the hero course, fine, but why would you help me get there?"

"...I don't know," Gael sighed as he tugged at a bit of his hair. "I just want to, I guess. Besides, telling people in the future that I taught a Pro Hero how to punch is its own reward."

Shinsou let out a shocked laugh at that admission. His shoulders and back were no longer tense and his face was completely relaxed as opposed to the closed-off expression he had worn just moments before. It was a good look on him. Definitely better than the worn and bleak features that had no business on someone so young. After their laughter died out, Shinsou turned to Gael, his brows drawn slightly before he nodded with a sigh.

"Alright," the purple haired teen agreed. "I'll let you train me."

"...Way to make it sound like your doing _me_ a favor," Gael grumbled. "How's after school sound to you? Every day leading up to the festival."

"I— yeah. That sounds fine," Shinsou accepted just as the bell signaling the end of lunch rang. The teens sighed at the sound but nevertheless stood and threw away their trash.

"Be prepared to work hard, Shinsou," Gael warned. "I don't know what your limits but I'll find out later today."


	4. Sit Down, Your Rocking the Boat

**Chapter Four: Sit Down, Your Rock the Boat**

 _The Colonel in charge of their operation and leading officer in charge of the training camp was a hardass. He had to be, of course. The amount of respect and fear these men and women had for him was admirable yet nonetheless terrifying. Gael had never met a person Captain Harvey actually deemed worthy enough for his respect. Colonel Bishop was the type of man who walked into a room demanding respect with no actual words spoken. Gael figured it was in the way he presented himself; Straight laced, no expression, and laser-focused. Colonel Bishop was basically Captain Harvey on roids._

 _Even now, as the man stalked down their tent towards the Captain and the rest of his team by extension. He hardly blinked at the sight of Kelly tending to his wings or Crocker's scaly skin. It was another thing Gael really liked about the man. He never treated Gael's team any different from the other squadrons._

 _"Your team has been getting a lot of attention, Captain. Not sure if it's a good thing or not," the Colonel said in lieu of a greeting._

 _"What exactly does that mean, sir?" The Captain asked._

 _"What I mean to say is that your team has gained attention from the folks back home," the Colonel explained with a weary sigh. "The higher-ups are not exactly happy but for some reason or another, I have been getting word about rising support for this— elite commando force," he scoffed gesturing to the group of enhanced individuals._

 _Gael grinned from his seat behind the rest of his team. He could see everyone's perplexed reactions, even the Captain's amusing gobsmacked expression. No one spoke after the Colonel's explanation, too utterly astonished to respond. The Colonel took that as a sign to continue._

 _"Do any of you, by chance, know why that is?"_

 _"Oh, I do!" Gael shouted. Seven heads turned towards him simultaneously with exactly one glare pointedly signaling him to shut his trap. He ignored it. Captain Harvey could berate him later. Instead, Gael hopped off his seat and ran towards his traveling pack. It only took a few seconds to pull out the worn comic books he stashed at the bottom of the pack. "We're like Captain America!"_

 _"Captain America? Who in the hell—"_

 _"He's a soldier and a hero! They made stories about him, see!" Gael said as he handed the Colonel the first issue of Captain America, a gift from one of the nurses in the camp. "He's like us, an enhanced soldier. He fights for justice and in this issue, he punched Hitler in the face! He's incredible! Do you think I can meet him someday? Where is he stationed at?"_

 _"Well I'll be damned," the Colonel commented as he thumbed through the pages. Dubois and Grimes eagerly read over the Colonel's shoulder, both unaware or uncaring of the annoyed eye roll they got from the man in return. Captain Harvey himself looked unsure as he stared at the cover of Gael's comic. Now that he was looking at it, Gael could see a bit of resemblance of the Captain in his comic book to the man who led them every day; in both appearance and enhancements._

 _"I don't know what to say," Captain Harvey finally muttered. "How did they find out?"_

 _"Eh? what do you mean, Sir?" Gael asked._

 _"What he means, kid," Kelly started but interrupted himself with a laugh. "Is that the good Captain in your books has a very familiar story to our own Captain."_

 _"Turns out you don't have to go too far to meet your hero. He's standing in this room with you right now!"_

* * *

Training Shinsou had come surprisingly easy. The other boy was obviously eager to learn. He hardly complained throughout the vigorous exercises and spars. By the end of their daily two hour training time, Shinsou would leave the field with countless new bruises and an aching body. It was more than a little jarring for Gael, at first, seeing how motivated Shinsou was to better himself physically. More often than not, Gael had to practically force the taller boy to take a break.

 _"I will not help you if you can't take care of yourself first."_

Gael never thought he would repeat the words of his former teacher slash captain to another person in his life. Admittedly in a different context but it sent chills down his spine none the less. Shinsou remained unaware of Gael's inner turmoil during their training thankfully. The Hispanic teen didn't regret his offer to help the other boy. It was the time crunch, however, that displeased him. Gael would have liked to take his time with his sorta-friend but the Sports Festival was quickly looming over them.

The unspoken rush to teach Shinsou reminded Gael of how Captain Harvey had taught him more than seventy years ago. It made him nervous. Logically Gael knew his worries were unneeded. The Sports Festival was a school event, after all. No matter if Shinsou won or not, Gael was certain the other boy would go far. They had gone over strategies over dinner once and while Shinsou had not caught onto Gael's unease of teaching strategy, he had caught onto the unspoken urgency. Neither had touched their Oden that night.

During the past few weeks with Shinsou, Gael also had plenty of time to get to know the other boy and vice versa. In that time, Gael had learned that the purple haired boy was not as stoic as he made himself out to be. Shinsou, it seemed, was partial to dry humor and sarcasm. It was a nice revelation, Gael found. His quick wit and natural charisma were easy to appreciate, especially when the whole school was currently buried under such heavy tension.

The aftermath of the USJ incident was nearly forgotten with the Sports Festival just days away.

Shinsou, in turn, learned that Gael was not just a bundle of nerves but also a confused mess. Gael was not sure if it was a side effect of time travel or if he had always been that way and never noticed but they learned that information seemed to process slowly for him. The revelation had come unexpectedly during a few of their training sessions.

 _"Pivot your left foot," Gael instructed from beside the taller teen. He took a moment to demonstrate the move once more, making sure to pause and exaggerate his leg movement for his classmate._

 _"This is my left foot. Your leading with your right."_

 _"Am I?"_

And then,

 _"Don't forget to, um— check for, uh—" Gael paused in his instruction as he looked at Shinsou's form. The Hispanic teen gnawed on his lower lip, his brows drawn in confusion as he tried to think of what to say next._

 _"... Distance?" Shinsou finished._

 _"Yes! Distance. Make sure to keep an eye on how far or close your opponent is. Exploit it if you can and never over or underestimate the power behind a kick or punch. You'll end up hurting yourself."_

And lastly,

 _"Vega, did I get this right?" Shinsou said after he completed a set on the punching bag in front of him. He stood waiting for an answer but turned when the tall teen didn't hear a response. He hummed in confusion when he saw the other boy staring at him just a few feet away. Shinsou called to him again, louder, but Gael just stared blankly. Feeling a little concerned, Shinsou stepped towards the other teen and nudged him by his shoulder. "Vega?"_

 _"Uh, yeah? What's wrong?" Gael practically slurred._

 _"Are you alright?"_

 _"Of course," Gael replied weirdly before he visibly shook himself. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"_

 _"...Yeah, how was my form?'"Shinsou asked, stepping away. Gael looked startled as he glanced at the still slightly rocking bag and then to the taller boy and grimaced._

 _"I'm sorry, Shinsou. I didn't see it. Can you do it again, please?" Shinsou nodded and repeated the set quickly. They only had the gym for another few minutes before their time slot was finished. Shinsou didn't mention to the other boy that he had been staring right at him when he called to him the first time._

Of course, Gael had noticed that he wasn't present one hundred percent of the time. It was frustrating how fast his attention had been drifting off lately. It didn't help his nearly permanent state of constant confusion either. Shinsou had been very patient with him, thankfully. Gael already felt immensely guilty for drifting off when he was supposed to be helping the purple haired teen. It was rather lucky that Shinsou continued to meet up with Gael during and after school despite his misgivings.

"Training at my house today?" Shinsou asked as he hiked his bag further up his shoulder. Gael turned to the other teen with an apologetic expression.

"Can't today," he replied with a sigh. "Got detention with Mic-sensei."

"What?" Shinsou frowned, taken aback. "How did you get detention from the most chill teacher in this school?" Gael laughed and shrugged. He didn't want to tell Shinsou he got detention on his own on purpose. It was pretty embarrassing to admit to someone he considered a friend. Instead, Gael explained the ready excuse he made up in case someone asked.

"Forgot to turn in a few homework assignments this week." Not a lie but not the whole truth. "Mic-sensei is really strict about homework, I guess."

"That sucks," Shinsou groaned. Shinsou's disappointment made Gael feel incredibly guilty. English was arguably his best subject. The homework itself was laughably easy and while it wasn't his first language, it was the one he spoke in most within the past five years, Not counting the rather large jump of time, obviously. Gael always looked forward to Present Mic's class for that reason. It came easy for him and the teacher himself was a joy to learn from. He chose to get detention from that specific teacher for that reason, after all.

"I know. Sorry, Shinsou. It should only be for two hours so I should be able to catch a train to your house afterward if you would like?"

"No, it's fine," the taller teen sighed. "By the time we would finish up it would be too late. I don't think your foster parents would like you taking the train so late."

 _'Not at all,'_ Gael thought sadly. Outwardly, Gael smiled. His current situation with the Yamamoto's still bothered him but he conceded that being in their care was a better alternative than being put in the system again. At least with them, he got to enroll in such a nice school.

The two continued down the school's hall in silence. Gael noticed they had gone a different route than what they usually took but shrugged it off. It was going towards the direction of Mic-sensei's office anyways. It was when murmuring reached his ears before the two turned the corner did Gael finally turn to Shinsou, his gaze questioning.

A large group of students clustered around class 1-A's door. Some looked agitated but the others looked intrigued for the most part. Shinsou, it seemed, was in the former category. The expression on Shinsou's face currently was something Gael had seen before. How could he not? It was the one the other teen wore whenever they discussed the hero courses quirks. At first, Shinsou did not want to hear anything regarding the hero course students. His attitude towards them was not unlike the disdain Gael had faced when they had first spoken. The taller boy seemed to place all the school's injustice of how they regulate exams on those kids. It was unfair but Gael figured it was all in healthy competition. That is until Shinsou decided to stupidly declare war on them after shoving himself, and Gael by extension, towards the front of the crowd.

"Is that really necessary, Shinsou?" Gael muttered as he glanced inside 1-A's classroom. "I get that this is a big deal and all but there really is no point in riling them up like that."

"Tch, they're a bunch of egomaniacs," the purple haired teen replied, not bothering to look back at him. "Just wanted to warn them that just because they made it into the hero course through the entrance exam, their seats are still open for anyone who does well in the sports festival."

Gael cringed and sent an apologetic glance at the students inside. In the past few weeks, Gael had grown used to Shinsou's prickly demeanor. Unfortunately, not everyone else could get past the mean front the taller teen put on. It was one thing to be confident in one's own abilities but being cocky would just lead to one's own downfall. Captain Harvey would have had his hide if he had seen Gael do what Shinsou just did. Worse now that the hero course students knew to look out for him.

 _"So much for the element of surprise,"_ Gael thought bitterly. Shinsou sent the class another glare before walking off, uncaring of how they took to his declaration of war. Gael let him go. It was better to let the other teen cool off rather than berating him for an ill move on his part.

"Ah, sorry about him," Gael laughed awkwardly. "He's just, um, bitter?"

A girl with short brown hair and the same colored eyes frowned at him but nodded nonetheless. Interestingly enough, she then smiled at him. It was nice to know that not all the students from 1-A had a nasty attitude like the blonde boy that stalked down the hallway.

"You don't have to apologize for your friend," the girl said.

"Indeed!" A tall boy standing behind the girl interjected. Gael jumped at his sudden, loud voice. The class must have grown used to the blue-haired boy's booming voice as Gael, and the other students still crowding the door, were the only ones who reacted. "While it is admirable that you apologized for your friend's misgivings, it is illogical to do so as you were not the one at fault."

"Ah, um, I guess?" Gael stuttered while running a shaky hand through his hair. "Still, I feel bad that Shinsou put you all down like that. I would have tried to, uh, stop him from coming here if I had known he would do that."

"You would have stood up to your friend for a bunch of people you didn't know? That's so manly!" A red-haired boy literally cried.

"Um, ok? Well, it was nice talking to you all but I, uh, should get going." Gael sent the class one last smile before turning to leave but a sudden shout made him pause.

"W-Wait! Can you tell us your friend's quirk before you go?" The sudden question caused Gael to frown. It was a valid question seeing as Shinsou had put himself out there so publically but a competition was a competition. These kids had more training than any other class, baring class 1-B probably. Part of the rest of the student population's only advantage was their currently unknown enhancements. Gael was not about to willingly handicap his friend just because he felt guilty.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that," Gael said, his voice coming out strong for once. "It's still a competition and I will not put my friend at a disadvantage. You'll either have to wait and see or have him tell you himself. It is not my place to give out that kind of information."

"I understand," the green-haired boy who asked in the first place responded after a second of hesitation. "It was unfair to put that on you. I apologize."

"Ah, don't apologize," Gael cried. All confidence from earlier gone in that second as he waved his hands out in front of him. "It was a valid question! I'm just sorry I couldn't answer it for you!"

"B-but you don't have to say sorry for being a good friend!" the green-haired boy cried with an equal amount of worry. To an outside perspective, it might have looked comical how alike the two were acting. Right down to their distressed expressions and movements. To Gael, however, it just added to the awkwardness he felt pooling in his chest. He loathed moments like this.

"Wow," the brown-haired girl commented as she covered a laugh with her hand. "You two are really alike, Deku."

"Yeah, it's like the general studies version of Midoriya," the red-haired boy from earlier commented thoughtfully.

Five more minutes of the two first years fumbling through apologies were spent as the crowd behind Gael slowly disbanded. The green-haired boy's classmates looked on in great amusement as they tried to see which one of the two would falter first. It wasn't until the brown-haired girl finally announced the time when Gael realized he was nearly late for his detention with Present Mic. If Gael was any more competitive, he would have gotten great pleasure in realizing he had won the weird apologizing contest as he ran down the hall with a last, _"Sorrygottago!"_

Now, however, as Gael stood in front of Present Mic's office door did he suddenly regret his plan for getting detention. The Pro Hero had seemed nice in a classroom setting but Gael had no idea what type of person he would be alone. That and the fact that he willingly, not that Mic-sensei knew, upset the man enough to hold him back caused Gael's nerves to act up. Be that as it may, Gael had chosen this path. It wouldn't do well to back off now.

With that in mind, Gael knocked on the door.

The sound of shuffling papers could be heard beyond the door as an energetic, _"One moment, please,"_ met Gael's ears. It was only a second or so later when the door swung open revealing Present Mic's unabashed grin. The man looked above Gael's head for a moment before his gaze finally landed on him.

"Vega! Your here right on time. Glad you made it! I didn't want to go tracking you down throughout the whole school." The man laughed as he gestured for Gael to enter and motioned towards the student desk settled in the corner of his office. The room itself was something he definitely had pictured Mic-sensei to have. It was very... loud. Bright colors and band posters hung on the walls. There was even a cat poster pinned right beside the student desk with the words, _'Hang in there,'_ written in English. A larger desk sat in the room as well. Obviously his Mic-sensei's personal desk. Interestingly enough, the desk was kept rather tidy. It wasn't something Gael expected of the man but it was a neat realization all the same.

Gael settled into the desk quietly before setting his pack down beside him. He was still nervous but just having the desk between him and the adult helped calm his nerves immensely. The teen heard the man sigh as he settled to sit on his desk. He seemed to consider Gael for a moment before scratching his eyebrow with a bemused expression.

"Ya' know, I don't think I ever had a student over for detention this close to the Sports Festival," the man mused. "Most of the kid's here are too scared to mess up in case they're forced to sit out on the games."

 _'Exactly,'_ Gael thought. He gave no outward reaction to what Mic-sensei said. In spite of that, Gael knew his plan to be excluded from the games was a strong one. It was a little risky, of course, and the guilt of disappointing his teacher stunk but Gael had figured it was a sure fire way to get out of participating from the mandatory event. Since the announcement, the teen had been doing little things to act out. Not turning in homework, showing up late, and getting a few low marks on assignments was surely enough to garner some consequence. Gael had chosen Present Mic's class for his plan as English was currently his best subject. He could easily catch up on the lost points after the Sports Festival had concluded.

Of course, he could have also purposefully thrown the games early on in the day but a few reasons stopped him from doing so. The first being that it simply was not fair to the other students if Gael did not give it his all to compete. Kids like Shinsou trained their asses off to get where they were at. It would be wrong of him to not give them the respect they deserve by putting his own effort into competing as well. The second reason was that the U.A's Sports Festival was a nationally televised event. Gael did not want his face or quirk being shown in public in case someone may recognize him. It didn't seem possible at first glance as Gael had officially been declared dead for almost eighty years but the fear still stood. His old friends and team members were most likely dead but he had no way of knowing how far his story had traveled. And lastly:

Gael didn't agree with the premise of the whole event.

His whole life, Gael had been taught to use his enhancement as sparingly as possible or, better yet, not at all. Quirks in his time were largely looked down upon. Arguably it was better than it had been when they first appeared a century before he was born but they were still largely ostracized by most of the world. Having and showing off your engagement was dangerous.

It was worse for people like Kelly, Crocker, and even Grimes to an extent. Their quirks were apart of them and they couldn't just turn it off like he could. Kelly had once mentioned to him it was by pure luck that he had survived as long as he did with how he looked. Crocker had laughed and said he had come close exactly fourteen times before enlisting. Every member of his team warned him against showing off his enhancement.

And he didn't. The past few months Gael had found himself using his quirk more than he ever did before. The Sports Festival and all it entailed was exactly everything Gael had been warned about. To expose his power to the world was something he was not comfortable with at all. That and to compete with other students his age for the amusement of others? Gael knew he still had a lot to learn about this future but things like the Sports Festival made him uncomfortable.

With that in mind, Gael bit the bullet and started to misbehave. He did so carefully, keeping in mind to not deviate too far from his own personality as to not give himself away. Luckily it had worked, given his current situation. He just hoped Mic-sensei would play his part and remove him from the festival entirely. It was unfortunate that Gael didn't count on his teacher's scrutiny to derail his careful planning.

"So I have to ask you, Vega, why are you purposefully acting out?" All the air in Gael's lungs rushed out of him in surprise. The teen felt the blood leave his face, a sudden cold bolt of fear struck his chest as he tried to conjure up the right words to persuade his teacher otherwise.

"I-I don't—" Gael tried to speak but he couldn't force the words to leave his mouth. Mic-sensei, for his part, at least looked abashed for his blunt phrasing. It didn't help that the man made no move to correct himself as Gael so desperately wished he would. The teen couldn't believe he got caught in the act so easily. Well, to be fair, Gael had never been the best liar. The fact alone just made his whole situation that much more terrifying.

"Breath, Vega," Mic-sensei consoled as he raised his hands up slowly in a placating gesture. "I'm not mad at you, alright? I just want to know what's going on. I want to know how I can help."

The Pro Hero seemed to wait for Gael to respond but the teen sat frozen in his seat. There was no way he could find it in himself to lie further to the man. Not to his face, at least. Grimes had once told him that sometimes the best lie was to say nothing at all. Gael couldn't say he quite understood what that meant but he figured that now would be the best to exercise the man's advice. Mic-sensei sighed when he seemed to realize Gael wasn't going to speak. His very being seemed to drop for a moment before he steeled himself once more.

"Let me explain to you how I came to this conclusion, yeah?" the teacher started. "I hadn't noticed at first. The missing assignments were odd seeing as you have one of the best grades in all my classes by far." Here Gael almost preened at the praise. He knew he was doing well but to have a top score? It felt great to hear, especially coming from the teacher who taught the class. Mic-sensei must have noticed his slight reaction as he gave Gael an encouraging smile before continuing his breakdown.

"And then you started to lose a few points here and there during quizzes. I wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the fact you were missing review questions. Imagine my surprise when I asked around faculty and learned that it was only in my class that you have been lacking in." Gael flinched at the point his teacher made. He hadn't thought the man would go as far as to ask around for him. This whole thing just made his teachers more attentive of him, not the other way around! "I brought this to attention with the other faculty members so we could keep an eye on you and what we noticed was a more than a little worrying. You don't seem to be interested in making many friends, you participate to a bare minimum in class, and honestly, you look like you haven't eaten or slept in weeks. I'm worried, kid. Whatever is bothering you is obviously taking its toll. You chose my class specifically to do whatever it is your doing. Maybe to get my attention, I'm not sure but it worked, kiddo. So, what's up? What can I do to help you fix this?"

And then he smiled.

Suddenly, Present Mic vanished and Grimes took his place. Blond, banana-shaped hair became a familiar shade of dark, chestnut curls elegantly swooped on top of his head. Pale skin became bronze and his clothes shifted into the ugly brown uniform Gael always hated. Present Mic looked nothing like Sergeant Grimes. They were near polar opposites in appearance but the smile, the damn smile was the same. It was like Mic-sensei's face melted and morphed into a perfect clone of his old teammate when his lips pulled into that familiar grin. All that was lacking was the shine.

As quick as he appeared, Grimes vanished. Mic-sensei looked pensive as he waited for Gael to answer. He hadn't seemed to have noticed the sudden hitch in the teen's breath or the glossy shine his eyes took. If he did, he didn't mention it.

"N-no that's, um, t-that's not—" Gael paused for some air. His stutter was grating his nerves but his irritation was currently buried under the strong ache currently throbbing in his chest. His mind raced for an answer, any excuse to get the man's suspicion off of him. His next words, like a cascading avalanche, came out in a slur. "It w-wasn't on purpose. I-I swear. I m-mistakingly cut b-back on my English work because I f-fig— I thought it w-would be easier to catch up on. I'm h-having a hard time w-with my other classes."

It wasn't a complete lie but, again, it wasn't the whole truth. Gael, despite the churning in his stomach, was pleased with his quick thinking as he watched Mic-sensei nod in understanding.

"What about the quizzes?" the man asked. "I can understand if you're falling behind in your homework but the quizzes are done during class."

"Um, I-I'm not sure. Maybe I miss read them?"

"Maybe. Do you often have trouble reading? Do you need glasses or are you dyslexic by chance? It's nothing to be ashamed of if you are."

"I don't think so," Gael answered honestly. He didn't even know what a dyslexic was.

The man hummed as he suddenly stood and made his way around his desk. Gael watched pensively as his teacher pulled out a thin file from the drawer and began to scan over the contents of whatever was inside it. Rhythmic taps from his teacher's dancing fingertips against the sturdy desk seemed to rattle the teen's very bones as he sat waiting in bated breath. Gael found it unfair that his teacher could look so well put together and damn near exuberant while he himself was sitting in the corner one breath away from a mental breakdown.

"I don't like this, Vega," Mic-sensei finally sighed. It was jarring how different he was now with him than when in class or in the hallways. "I'm worried about you. I want you to do well here and I want to help you succeed but I can't if you don't let me. It's a bit early in the year for something like this but I think it's for the best if I spoke with your foster parents. At the moment I don't think it's serious enough to involve Principal Nezdu but if I let this continue it may well become so."

Gael froze, his eyes blown comically wide at what his teacher just said. This was not in the plan. In fact, the plan had so thoroughly veered off course it practically jumped out the window. While on fire. Mic-sensei didn't even acknowledge Gael's visible displeasure as he continued speaking. The Pro Hero even had the audacity to actually look pleased with his decision!

"In fact, the rest of my afternoon is free so we can probably go now!" Mic-sensei grinned that cursed smile once more as he pulled out his phone from seemingly thin air, muttering something as his thumbs rapidly tapped against the screen. "Alright! Shouta is already on his way to the car so we should get a move on, listener! He gets grumpy when I take too long."

Definitely not going to plan.


	5. It's the Hard-Knock Life

**Chapter Five:** **It's the Hard-Knock Life**

 _Winter's in New York, Gael learned, were cold. He didn't mind the cold very much. He preferred it to the heat, actually; It didn't make him sweaty. What bothered Gael, however, was that he was forced to endure the low temperature while Sergeant Grimes enjoyed the warmth indoors. The other man had promised to show Gael around his hometown, take him to his favorite joints but sitting outside a rundown bar while watching the man nurse a pint of beer through the window was not how the boy pictured his day to go._

 _He should have bothered Dubois to take him instead._

 _The enhanced boy sighed as he drew another doodle into the sleat of dirty snow with a stick. It had felt like hours since Grimes had instructed him to wait outside for him. The man swore it would only take a moment and Gael foolishly believed him. The child knew breaks like these were rare, especially for the team. During their days on leave, Gael's team would generally leave him for a couple of days, sometimes they'd even bring him back a few gifts. This time, however, Grimes was nice enough to invite him over during the break. Said they'd do all sorts of neat things for the weekend. When Grimes had told him they'd be going fishing that afternoon, Gael had thought he meant going to an actual lake. He didn't realize Grimes idea of fun was catching pretty birds in old bars._

 _The boy threw the man a dirty look from underneath his scally cap. He wanted to leave, explore the block at least but Gael didn't know how much longer Grimes would be before he came back outside. It wouldn't do well for the boy if he disobeyed orders from his superior. As much as he hated sitting out in the cold when he was supposed to be doing something fun, he would much rather follow Grimes around on a fool's errand than be stuck back at camp._

 _The boy huffed as he watched the man shake with laughter at something the dame sitting next to him said. The pretty bird seemed awfully interested in Grimes as she ran a gentle finger over the man's large scarf. Gael couldn't help but wonder why the bird was even giving Grimes the time of day. The whole bottom of the man's face was hidden underneath the dark fabric so he couldn't very well believe the dame actually found the Sergeant handsome. She couldn't even see him!_

 _Nevertheless, Gael felt indebted to the woman as she stood and pulled Grimes out of his seat. Finally, they were leaving! Despite the fact Grimes had promised to show Gael a good time, the boy found himself uncaring if the dame came along. Maybe she had some swell ideas on how to pass the time!_

 _Gael immediately stood when the two staggered out of the bar arm in arm and raced up to Grimes. He smiled, his teeth chattering as he looked up at the two with relief clearly written on his face. The pretty bird noticed him first and stopped giggling in favor of shooting the Sergeant a questioning look._

 _"Are you done fishing, sir?" Gael asked with an innocent grin. The dame cocked her head before angrily ripping her arm out of the Sergeant's grasp._

 _"Fishing?" she retorted angrily at him._

 _"Ah, he don't mean nothin' by that, doll! You know how little kids are," Grimes apologized before sending Gael a scathing glare. The boy wilted under the look before glancing back up at the two adults with tears in his hazel eyes._

 _"Oh, jeez. I'm sorry, miss. I misspoke. Mr. Grimes promised he take me out for a fun day and said somethin' about fishin'. See, I never fished before so I was real excited. Is there a lake nearby? Hopefully, it's warmer there. I'm awfully cold from sitting out here for so long." The dame cooed down at Gael as she moved towards him and fixed the skewed scarf wrapped around his neck. She placed a warm hand on his frozen cheek and gasped before whirling around to face the Sergeant once more._

 _"You had this poor baby sittin' out here in the cold while you sat inside in a pub? How dare you, you— you nasty crumb!"_

 _"I—I wasn't gonna be in there for long, doll! Just for a moment to grab a pint but then I started talking to you and, well, I lost track of time! I swears it. It's not every day a beautiful dame comes along, you know."_

 _"No excuse! This poor boy in near frozen!"_

 _Gael grimaced as the woman began to yell at the Sergeant. He glanced around and noted with some embarrassment that the commotion had garnered some attention from a few passerby. This was definitely not how he planned his day ongoing._

* * *

Gael's biggest issue while in the Army and, well life really, was not knowing exactly what to do. With himself, that is. He had been placed in plenty of situations where the obvious flew straight over his head. Dubois had always said it was Gael's heart that took lead instead of his brain. Gael had never really understood what Dubois meant by that. The man's proper English forgotten in favor of his passion for poetry and vocabulary Gael never heard before. That and Dubois French accent was ridiculous. He was positive the man faked half of it just to annoy him.

Nevertheless, this was one of those moments Gael wished his heart would stop taking over and to let his brain work just this once.

Mic-sensei had actually dragged him halfway across school campus towards the teachers parking lot. It wasn't a place Gael had ever been to before and it certainly was not the place he had ever wanted to be in. Nothing the tall blond man said reached Gael's ears. To the teen, the man's voice came out as a dull murmur of quick syllables and cadences. If it weren't for his experience of keeping up with people much faster than him, Gael would have literally met the floor with his face. He still tripped over his own feet every other step but Mic-sensei hasn't seemed to notice. Or care.

It should have bothered him. Well, it did. Sorta. He was used to it though. That and he had already disappointed the man once before. Gael didn't dare test him further by actually angering him. If anything, under the tutelage of Captain Harvey the most important and valuable lesson Gael had learned was when to stop. Instead, Gael ran beside the man's long strides. The Pro Hero hadn't even broken a sweat by the time they reached a familiar scruffy man covered in bandages. Idly, Gael wondered how the man managed to wear bandages wrapped around his face in such a fashion where it didn't cover his hair. The man's injuries were certainly nothing to laugh about. Besides his bandaged face, both of the man's arms were held in individual slings. Broken, if the rumors were true.

Eraserhead was someone who definitely earned Gael's respect. He hadn't thought much about the teacher during class. He seemed tired. An understatement, really. His monotone voice drawled in a way not unlike Patson did after a night of heavy drinking. Not angry or upset just apathetic. Shinsou liked him. He had mentioned a few times after listening to the man's rather boring lectures on hero law how Aizawa-sensei was one of the few talented kids that made it into the Hero Course after the Sports Festival.

When news broke out about the USJ attack, Gael found himself admiring the man along with Shinsou. He had come back, beaten to hell, and resumed his classes as though nothing had happened. Gael had witnessed men with fewer injuries than Aizawa-sensei cry and moan over their bruises in medical. It was impressive, to say the least.

The man barely sent him a nod in greeting before rounding on Present Mic about making him wait so long. Gael flinched in guilt. If he had known the injured man was waiting up on them, he would have moved faster. The teen swallowed down the reflexive apology that dared to break out. He didn't trust his voice not to stutter and embarrass him further. Instead, Gael squeaked a quick 'hello' and climbed in the back seat when told.

In contrast to Aizawa-Sensei's quiet demeanor, Mic-Sensei was very talkative and loud. The familiar persona was a relief to see as Gael was genuinely afraid his plan had truly angered the man. Nevertheless, Gael found himself listening to half an ear to the blond man's ramblings as he tried to fight down the building panic he felt in his chest. Two of his teachers were on their way to the Yamamoto's home and he had no idea how to proceed. He had no contingency plan for this. Gael had barely attended kindergarten. He had no idea on how actual schools worked.

Sweat began to gather behind Gael's neck as they grew nearer to his home address. There was nothing the teen could do now but act natural and tip anything off to the two Pro Heroes. It would only be for an hour or two, max. He could pull off not being weird for that long.

.

.

.

The kid was weird.

Shouta, like the rest of U.A's faculty, had read the kid's file. Vega Gael had appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. He had no identification, no family, and no actual proof of legally entering Japan. He was obviously foreign. His wide eyes and tan skin set him apart from most of the student population. He also had a very distinctive accent. Shouta couldn't place where from America, ("Or Canada, Shouta! You never know!" the little voice in his head that annoyingly sounded like Hizashi reminded him,) the kid could have possibly been from. Vega had barely spoken in his presence and had completely shut down once the car sputtered to life. Hizashi would probably know; The man had spent some time abroad after all.

Police who had initially found Vega couldn't hold him past forty-eight hours. He had done nothing wrong and was a minor to boot. They couldn't send the kid back to his home country; No one knew where he was from. They had pressed the kid for answers during the time they had him. Detective Naomasa had included in his reports that Vega had refused to answer most questions but remained honest to the few he did. From what the initial investigation gathered, the kid was harmless. Harmless enough to be put in the system just long enough for an 'upstanding' couple to swoop off with the 'adorable' foreigner. Nemuri's words, not his.

Nezdu had surprised them all by allowing the kid into the school after the cutoff day for first-year registration had passed. Shouta hadn't cared. Vega had been allowed to take the written section of the exam but not the practical portion required for the heroics course. He passed, to say the least, and made it into general studies. This generally meant that Vega Gael was not Shouta's problem. Though that wasn't to say he wasn't at least slightly impressed that the kid managed to get in at all. Naomasa had also mentioned in the kid's file that Vega's understanding of Japanese was passible at best. The kid must have worked his ass off to get the score he did. Admittedly, his Kanji was a bit sloppy but no one was perfect.

A month into the new semester, Vega had managed to completely fly under the radar. They didn't completely forget about the kid; not with all those loose ends flying around. They merely kept a passive eye on him. More for curiosities sake, really. All in all the kid really did seem harmless. That is, before the USJ incident. Suddenly Vega's innocence was questioned once more. Hizashi had admitted to Shouta that he was not proud of suspecting one of his own students but the coincidence was too strong to just ignore. Shouta had agreed. There had never been an attack like it before. Several of his students had almost died and would have died if not for All Might's interference. It was easy to suspect that Vega was somehow involved. His unknown past brought up plenty of red flags.

It was troubling to even suspect a student for the USJ incident. Hizashi had discussed the possibility of some sort of traitor or spy in U.A with him during his short stint in the hospital. It felt wrong but Shouta had to concede that the theory had merit. Snipe had argued on Vega's behalf. The man inciting that the boy just did not seem like the type. It irked Hizashi more than it had Shouta hearing the man defend the kid but had ultimately agreed to leave the kid alone. That is, until the voice hero noticed the kid's English grades slipping.

Hizashi had zeroed in on the subtle change immediately and kept a near-obsessive eye on all the work Vega turned in; Including work from Vega's other classes. Shouta and Nemuri had both been subjected to several of Hizashi's tirades. Every homework assignment, every quiz, and every essay thoroughly analyzed as though the very location of the League of Villains was somehow written in code within Vega's neat scrawl. Shouta even caught Hizashi run a swab of lemon juice across a less than stellar short essay one evening in their shared apartment. Although he didn't admit it, the man's neurotic behavior had begun to worry Shouta. Not only for Hizashi's mental health but also for the student. What if they were wrong?

Nothing about the kid screamed 'villain'. Snipe insisted that the boy was just shy and that any sort of questioning would send the kid right back into his shell. Arguments between Snipe and Hizashi were common now. Hizashi wanted to pull the boy aside and have Naomasa have at him once more. Snipe, however, wanted everyone to leave the kid the hell alone. As a homeroom teacher himself, Shouta felt that he would know his own class better than most teachers. The same could be said for Snipe. Vega was under his care, his watch. If Snipe had noticed something in Vega worth reporting, he wouldn't hesitate. Not with a whole school of children at risk.

So Shouta let the issue rest. However, the same could not be said for his blond partner.

As a homeroom teacher, any issue regarding a student's education or otherwise is dealt with by them. Parent conferences and interventions included. Hizashi, the manipulative bastard, managed to convince Nezdu that a visit to Vega's home was in order and being that the issue lied solely with his own class, Hizashi should be the one to conduct it. Snipe had nearly thrown a fit when Nezdu allowed it.

Hizashi's dedication to the school and it's students was certainly admirable but being dragged along to the impending shit show was not how Shouta imagined his evening to go. Even now, as Shouta listened with half an ear to Hizashi's voice. To an outside perspective, Hizashi was a common idiot but well-meaning teacher. The blond spoke to both Shouta and Vega as he drove. A grin set on his face as he tried to drag them into a conversation.

Shouta knew him better though. He could see the white-knuckle grip the voice hero had on the steering wheel, the tense shoulders, and the twitch of his brow. Eyes hidden behind those ridiculous glasses shot pensive looks to the teenage passenger sitting quietly in the back seat. He didn't sing along to the songs playing on the radio nor did he badger Shouta about his health as the man was prone to do. It was the smile the man had on his face that bothered Shouta the most. It was unsettling. Fake. Two rows of shiny teeth clearly visible and clenched tight. Hizashi's laugh lines stood more prominent and taunt. It looked painful but, scarily enough, natural.

Shouta was not a stranger to this side of Hizashi. He trusted the other man enough to know what he was doing. Investigating a student's home for villainous activity was not even the weirdest thing Hizashi had dragged Shouta into doing. He only wished Hizashi hadn't insisted on doing this while he was still injured. Recovery Girl will not be pleased when she catches wind of their latest adventure in nosey teaching.

Luck was on their side, however, as Vega seemed completely unaware of their true intentions for this home visit. The boy looked incredibly uncomfortable and hasn't made a single sound of protest since stepping into the car. Shouta wasn't blind to how hesitant Vega looked when Hizashi mentioned having called his foster parents beforehand. The visible relief the kid had shown when the blond had mentioned his foster mother being available for the day was concerning, to say the least. It brought a question to the kid's home life. Did Vega not like his foster father? It was something to look into, that was for certain.

The Yamamoto's were a wealthy couple. No children of their own and newly registered foster parents. Shouta did not know much of them besides what was included in Vega's student file but a little digging showed nothing nefarious. If anything, they seemed too perfect. Shouta huffed a little in his seat at the thought. It seems as though Hizashi's new found paranoia of the small family had rubbed off on him.

The eraser hero noticed the concerned glance Hizashi sent his way. Shouta merely shrugged off the questioning look before glancing around the wealthy neighborhood for the correct house. It didn't seem like Vega was going to point it out to them anytime soon, after all. The man felt his irritation grow as he took in the near identical homes rushing by. It was moments like these where he realized Hizashi may have had a point on investing in a GPS for the car.

"Found it!" Hizashi practically sang as he slowed the car down in front of a western style house at the end of the street. Shouta quickly shot a look at the teenager sitting behind him and mentally noted on how the kid's attention seemed oddly focused on the car sitting in the driveway. Hizashi had barely put the car in park before jumping out of his seat and making his way towards the other side. Shouta merely rolled his eyes at his partner's eagerness but allowed the blond to open his door. Pride was obsolete when he could hardly move his arms.

Vega was already outside with his bag clenched in his hand. The boy seemed lost on how to proceed. They followed behind the kid as he slowly shuffled towards the front door. Shouta felt his eyes narrow when he noticed how tense the kid's shoulders had grown when the door swung open before he could knock. Shouta quickly shrugged it off. The kid was most likely afraid of getting into trouble. This was an unscheduled home visit concerning his sudden fall in grades, after all. Nonetheless, something in Shouta's gut was telling him something was off.

The woman who answered the door was exactly what Shouta had pictured in his mind. Yamamoto Kimiko, despite being informed beforehand of the supposed nature of their visit looked, beamed up at them with a naturally charismatic smile. The woman didn't seem bothered or even upset with the situation at all. Instead, she greeted all three of them warmly and lead them into her home.

"Oh, I have to apologize for the mess!" Shouta inwardly scoffed. What mess? The house looked like it came straight out of a catalog. The messiest thing in the home currently was himself. Nevertheless, Shouta watched as Yamamoto fluttered around the open living space removing what she found 'messy' along the way. "And Gael, dear, why don't you change out of your uniform and into some home clothes? I'll keep your teachers company here while your gone."

Shouta watched from underneath the fringe of his hair as the kid fumbled through a response. The kid looked half relieved for the excuse to leave the room. However, Shouta was not blind to see how uncomfortable the kid looked as he carefully walked down the hall. The man shot a look at Hizashi and noted the other man had also caught the odd reaction. It had only been a few minutes since they've entered the home but there was already a few warning bells ringing in Shouta's chest. Yamamoto, it seemed, was used to or had not noticed Vega's awkward departure as she motioned both men to join her in the sitting area near the front of the house.

"Would either of you care for some tea? We have quite a few flavors so don't be afraid to name your favorites!" the slight woman laughed. Shouta rolled his eyes, thankful for Recovery Girl insisting for full face bandages as his momentary loss of judgment was left unnoticed.

"Thank you," Shouta heard himself say before Hizashi could respond. "That would be great but do you mind if I visit your restroom?"

"Of course not! It's just down the hall. The door should be open so you can't miss it."

Shouta nodded and stood before sending Hizashi a glance. The other man nodded slightly back before bringing Yamamoto back into a fast-paced conversation. The restroom, like Yamamoto said, was easy to find. Shouta made a show of entering the room in case either of their hosts was watching. He stood still for a few moments merely staring at his reflection in the mirror when he heard slight footsteps pass the bathroom door. Quietly, Shouta pulled the door open just in time to see the kid's back turn the corner towards the sitting area.

Once the kid was gone, Shouta stepped out and walked down the opposite direction. The man made quick work as he quietly peeked into every room he came across. So far he only managed to find a guest room and a cleaning closet. Neither held anything worth digging deeper into. The only other door in the hall that he had yet to look into was left slightly ajar. Shouta felt his eyes widen at exactly how clean the room proved to be after he nudged open the door and flicked on the light. Like the rest of the house, the walls were painted a blindingly white and the wooden floor shone dully underneath the fluorescent lighting. Shouta noticed the kid's backpack sitting on the desk chair and his neatly folded uniform placed in the center of the bed.

The bed itself gave Shouta a quick pause. Specifically how tightly the bed sheet seemed to fold around the corners. The man wondered who had taught the kid to make the bed in such a fashion and very nearly written it off until he looked closer at the neatly made bed. Shouta would not have noticed if he had not been already looking at the bed but as it was, the man could clearly see a fine layer of dust settled over the top. In fact, as Shouta glanced around the room, every piece of furniture seemed to be covered in it. It was as though the room had not been used for quite a while.

Shouta hesitated for a moment before he crouched low to the ground. He ignored the slight ache in his knees as he did so in favor of pulling his arms out of their slings and running a finger across the floor in front of him. He grimaced as he felt grit immediately stick to his finger and stood as he hastily wiped his hand on the leg of his pants. Shouta's first impression of Vega had pegged the kid as a bit of a tight ass regarding cleanliness. With how pristine he wore his uniform and how the kid managed to beat out Iida in stiffness alone, Shouta had expected his living space to be the same. The man almost wrote the kid off as a closet slob but a quick glance at the bed made him stop.

The room, besides the dust, was incredibly well put together. Not a single pencil or otherwise was left out as opposed to what Shouta was accustomed to for a teenagers bedroom. The walls lay barren of posters and the shelves were devoid of personal nicknacks and pictures. The room was so impersonal, Shouta would have passed it off as another guest room if not for the school bag and clothes left behind.

Shouta hesitated for only a brief moment before he crossed the room towards the abandoned bag left on the computer desk chair. As quickly as he could around the bandages hindering him from their full movement, the man unzipped the bag and routed through its contents before pulling out one of the worn notebooks. He flicked through the pages, his eyes scanning over the neatly printed notes. It took a moment for the man to realize the notes were not written in Kanji or even in Japanese. The kid's notes were in English. Easy enough to read until he noticed more and more words and characters he could not recognize. It was clearly shorthand for one of Vega's lessons but in a language other than both English and Japanese. Shouta quickly took pictures of a few pages with his phone before he returned the notebook to its place. He then took a few pictures of the rest of the room as an afterthought.

The man then made a beeline towards the computer spying it from the corner of his eye. He shook the mouse but grew confused when the desktop didn't immediately spark to life. He pressed on the power button a few times but nothing came out of it. He stood back for a second before he let out a huff of frustration when he finally noticed that the damn thing wasn't even plugged in and like the rest of the room, the computer and its power cable were completely covered in dust.

Confused and more than a little frustrated, Shouta left the room after pulling his arms back into their slings. He had taken longer than he wanted and the other's would surely grow suspicious if he prolonged his absence any further. Still, just before he stepped into the sitting area with the others, Shouta took a moment to catalog both Vega and his foster mother. Now sitting side by side, the Pro Hero could see clearly just how different the two were.

Yamamoto easily laughed along to whatever Hizashi was saying at the moment. Her straight, black hair pulled expertly out of her face and into an intricate bun on top of her head. Her clothes were obviously new and fit her lean body perfectly well. Her movements and body language were open and relaxed, her dark eyes crinkled in the corners slightly due to age and joy. Yamamoto was an attractive, intelligent woman and also incredibly unassuming for the most part.

Vega, however, was her polar opposite. He was all gangly limbs and thinly built. Unlike Yamamoto who was confident in how she presented herself, Vega was awkward and stiff. His posture was perfect but it did nothing to hide his notably fearful and nervous demeanor. Even from a slight distance, Shouta could see how jittery the kid was, his tan hands shook regardless of how tightly he had them clenched together on top of his lap. Occasionally the kid would reach up and pull slightly at his long, light-colored hair. A nervous tick, Shouta assumed. Like most kids his age, Vega had long lost the roundness in his cheeks and jaw signifying a slightly more mature age, however, the hollowness of his cheeks and almost pasty yellow undertone to the kid's skin made Shouta uncomfortable. That along with how dull the kid's hazel eyes were brought pulled together an overall sickly image of the student.

The kid was obviously not doing well under the Yamamoto's care. Shouta wondered how Snipe had not noticed or if the man had, why had he not intervened already. Then again, it was only the second month since the semester started. One of Hizashi's theories of the kid suddenly came to mind as Shouta finally moved to join the others. What if this was all really a cry for help? As it was, Shouta had not found anything that tied the kid with the League of Villains. What he did find, however, was something he needed to let not only Hizashi and Snipe know but probably Principal Nezdu as well.

"There you are, Aizawa!" Hizashi said as he unnecessarily pulled him down in the seat beside him. Shouta grunted but held back the scathing retort that threatened to rip out when he felt a flash of pain shoot through his arms. It took a second for the man to notice that Hizashi did not pull his hand away from his arm but he ignored it after he saw both the blond's mouth pulled into a thin line and Yamamoto's eyes flash in disappointment. It was easy to deduce what could have possibly been going on from that alone.

"Perfect, you're back," Yamamoto said with a strained smile. "Well, I just want to apologize sincerely for the trouble my son has put you all in. U.A is such a prestigious school and while my husband and I were very happy for Gael to have had been accepted, I will admit that both of us were rather surprised he managed it in the first place." Shouta frowned at how the woman laughed after her admission and how Vega seemed to wilt further into his seat.

"Vega is a very intelligent boy," Shouta suddenly found himself saying. "I only have him twice a week for Hero Law but it has not gone past my notice on how dedicated he is in his studies."

"Yeah! Not counting the past few weeks, your son is definitely one of my best English students! It was why I grew so concerned when I noticed the sudden drop in his performance!"

"I see. Do all the teachers at U.A conduct meetings like this for those reasons?" Yamamoto asked.

"Yes," Shouta lied.

"Of course! My number one job is to make sure all my listeners are safe and doing their best to learn. If it means talking to an occasional parent from time to time, so be it!"

"Impressive. I'm glad Gael has such dedicated teachers such as yourselves. I assure you both that my husband and I will take greater care in prioritizing our son's education. Again I am very sorry you had to take the time out of your, no doubt, busy schedules for something like this. How embarrassing!" Yamamoto then bowed her head and, after giving the teen sitting beside her a slight nudge with her elbow, Vega followed as well. The rest of the visit went by quickly after that. Hizashi was quick to draw the discussion to a close and stood, pulling Shouta up beside him, before making their way towards the door. They were nearly out the door when Hizashi suddenly stopped and turned his attention back at the kid.

"Oh, Vega before I forget! I am willing to forgive a few of your lowest assignments depending on how you perform during the Sports Festival, okay! So do your best and know I'll be watching!"

"...A—Alright then," Vega mumbled in response.

"Gael will make sure to make both of you proud!" Yamamoto said with a smile.

"Perfect! I'm looking forward to it! And remember listener! PLUS ULTRA!"

Shouta watched from the car window as both Yamamoto and Vega disappeared inside the house. He ignored Hizashi as the man fumbled with the keys in favor of removing his arms from his slings and pulling his phone out from his pocket. The man swiped along the pictures he took of the kid's room and frowned as he took the time to look closely into every photo he had taken. It wasn't until they had nearly arrived at their shared apartment when Shouta heard Hizashi let out a pitiful groan.

"I was wrong, wasn't I?"

"Yeah," Shouta said without hesitation as he let the screen on his phone go black. "But there's something else."

"You saw it too?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"There's something weird going on there. Call it instincts."

"Well you're not wrong," Shouta agreed with a sigh. "I think— I think we should call for a meeting."

"...Is it that bad?"

"Maybe. Something worth looking into further, that's for sure."

.

.

.

Gael watched as his teachers drove away from the living room window. It hadn't worked. Mic-sensei hadn't kicked him out of the Sports Festival and now it was too late to do anything else about it. The event was only two days away and Gael did not want to do anything that would get him into any more trouble. He did not want any more of his teachers to pay him a surprise home visit. The teen couldn't imagine what he would say if neither of the Yamamoto's managed to come back in time. He was lucky Mic-sensei had the forethought to call beforehand. It would not have looked very good if they had shown up to an empty house.

The teen sighed as he turned from the window and began to walk towards his room when, out of nowhere, he felt a stinging slap connect to the side of his face. The sudden force was heavy enough to send him down to the ground. Gael felt his hand shake as he cupped his cheek in surprise. The teen was disoriented and shocked but looked up when he heard a scoff above him.

"How dramatic," Miss Yamamoto huffed as she rolled her eyes. "I didn't even hit you that hard."

"M-ma'am?" Gael gasped in shock.

"Listen closely, boy. This will not happen again. You will perform adequately for the Sports Festival and make sure your grades remain in the top percentage after that. I don't care what you do besides that but just know that if you embarrass me or your father again, I will personally make sure you regret it. Understood?"

"Y-yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Now get your things. Street clothes, a fresh uniform, I don't care. I have to be Shibuya by tomorrow morning. I left some yen for you in your room. Don't call either of us unless it's important. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Hurry up then."

Gael watched as the woman turned and left him on the living room floor. The teen felt his eyes water as his hands pressed on the throbbing portion of his face. It was as a stray tear fell from his eye that Gael began to feel angry at himself. He was acting like a complete child. This was not the first time he had taken a slap to the face. It wasn't even the hardest hit he had endured. If anything, the power behind Miss Yamamoto's open hand was weak. There was no reason for him to have had reacted like he had. Still, a part of Gael ached at the memory of the woman's sneer pointed at him. He had known the Yamamoto's did not have the best opinion of him but he still hoped they would move past that. The teen supposed his stupid plan had backfired on him in more ways than one.

The teen did not hesitate to quickly pack what he needed in his backpack. The zipper almost refused to close due to the amount of crap he jammed inside but he somehow managed it nonetheless. It would be easier once Gael made it to the warehouse and stored away the extra clothes but until then the teen would have to make due with the bulging bag. Gael didn't bother telling Miss Yamamoto he was leaving as he stepped outside the house. Partly due to anger at the woman but mostly because he couldn't find it in himself to face her again.

The sky was already growing dark as the teen slowly made his way towards his hideout. Thoughts raged in his mind as he thought back to the last couple hours. He couldn't believe how much had happened in such little time. His face throbbed and his eyes teared up as the sudden feeling of embarrassment roared to life in his chest. Miss Yamamoto, Aizawa-sensei, and Mic-sensei must have thought him a complete idiot now. Gael didn't even want to begin to think of how stupid he must have looked in their eyes.

A sob passed Gael's lips as he stumbled down the sidewalk. It was moments like these were the teen felt the most lost. He didn't have his team behind him for that extra feeling of security. He didn't have May there to give him horrible advice or make him sing and laugh until he was gasping for air. Hell, Gael would even take Captain Harvey for company and the man was the biggest hard head he knew. Had known. Gael would do anything to rid himself of the mind-crippling loneliness that crept into his heart.

Through the tears and shaking limbs, Gael suddenly realized he had no idea where his feet had lead him, that is until he absentmindedly raised his hand to knock on the door that suddenly filled his vision. His body racked with sobs as the teen bit his knuckles as to muffle the sound of his crying. It could have been a minute or a whole hour before the door swung open to reveal Shinsou's surprised face.

"Vega?" the teen asked hesitantly as he took in the other boys hunched figure. "I thought you weren't coming today? Wait. No, what's wrong? Come in." Gael let Shinsou pull him inside his house. The shorter teen listened with half an ear as the purple haired teen informed him that dad was currently at work doing for a night shift but would come home if he needed an adult. Gael shook his head, not trusting his voice at the moment. A new wave of sadness spiked through his chest when he noticed how uncomfortable Shinsou had looked. Gael tried to stutter out an apology and leave but Shinsou was quicker and managed to push him down onto the plush couch in his living room. Gael didn't know what caused it but at that moment, everything felt far too heavy for him to handle. It could have been the blossoming bruise on his face to the emptiness he felt in his chest but something in that moment finally snapped in Gael.

"S-Shinsou," the teen sobbed as a fresh wave of tears ran down his face. "I-I need— I need to t-tell you some— something."


End file.
